The Yanbaawi songs and dances are performed to the accompaniment of the traditional instrument called Al-Simsimiyyah (Arabian plucked lyre.)
The Yanbaawi, which is believed to have originated in Yanbu in Madinah province, has spread to other coastal towns and across the Red Sea to the eastern Egypt. The Yanbaawi musical troupes are in demand in Jeddah, Taif, Makkah and Madinah. The songs are more popular in coastal towns as they are favored by seafarers.
The five-stringed Al-Simsimiyyah that follows a five-notation scale is the ideal instrument to accompany the Yanbaawi performance. However, there are slight variations in the instrument used in Hejaz and that found in Egypt.
The Yanbaawi is presented in the form of a mawwal (traditional musical monologue) accompanied by dancing steps. Some times its lyrics are borrowed from songs of Umm Kulthum or other famous singers of the past generation.
The Yanbaawi singers traditionally belong to families of Al-Ruwaisi, Al-Batish, Al-Kharish, Al-Samman and Al-Khatib.
However, the Yanbaawi artists complain that they are not given their due share of recognition by the authorities or the agencies that organize artistic events. They say they depend on wedding events to keep the art form alive.
